Process of making formates.



PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES JULIUS WEISE, FRIEDRICH RIECHE, AND ADOLF BARTH, OF OESTRIGH- ON-THE-RHINE, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS TO THE FIRM OFv RUDOLPH KOEPP 8: (10., OF OESTRICH-ON-THE-RHINE, GERMANY.

PROCESS OF MAKING FORMATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1906.

Original application filed April 1 1904,' Serial No. 202,661. \QDivided and this application filed March 15 1906. Serial No. 260,697.

1'0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, J ULIUS WEIsE, FRIED- RICH Rincnn, and ADoLF BARTH, subjects of the German Emperor, and residents of Oestrich-on-the-Rhine, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Formates, of which the following is a specification.

In our application for a United States Patent of April 1, 1904, Serial No. 202,661, we have described a process of manufacturing formates from carbon monoxid and caustic alkali. In this application we have also shown why the attempts hitherto made to synthesize formates from carbon monoxid and caustic alkalies had failed, as the experimenters made their steps in wrong directions and endeavored to'either use the agents in a highly-concentrated state or to exclude the water, while it is the water which is essential for the reaction and expedites the process. Without the help of Water it was difficult to combine carbon monoxid with caustic alkalies and much less with oxids of alkaline earths. At the 'most the latter served for giving a larger surface of contact to the solid caustic soda without partaking in the reaction. With our process as described in the said application, on the contrary, the behavior of the caustic alkalies is quite different, as the carbon monoxid rapidly and easily combines with the caustic alkali.

Our invention relates to a similar process of manufacturing formates in which the alkalies are replaced by alkaline earths, provided that a sufficient quantity of water be employed. This process will prove important and profitable in many cases by reason of the greater cheapness of the a ents.

As stated in the said app ication, our process consists in making an aqueous solution of a caustic alkali, or in the present case a solution or suspension of an alkaline earth, heating the solution or suspension to a high temperature in a closed vessel, preferably beyond the boilin -point of the solution or suspension, and in admitting carbon monoxid and causing the two agents to act upon each other while under agitation or in a finely-divided condition.

The rapidity of the reaction increases proportionally to the temperature, while the concentration exercises no great influence if suf- I ficient water be present. The operation must be carried out in closed vessels to prevent the Water from evaporating. The closed vessels may be of any known and approved construction. The heating of these closed vessels may be effected in any known manner. In order that the operation may take place rapidly, it is further necessary that the liquid and gas should be inintimate contact, for which purpose any suitable known device can be used. For instance, the liquid may be atomized by stirring devices or nozzles or it may be distributed in thin layers, and the gas may be blown into the vessel in a finely-divided state.

The newimproved method may be carried out in various manners. For attaining the result it is important and necessary that the water be present in a sufficient uantity, that the temperature be maintaine above 100 centi rade, and that the a ents (a gas and a liqui be most finely divi ed and intimately mixed.

Instead of water also solutions of salts of alkalies may be used-for example, sodium sulfate or sodium carbonate. In such cases of course formates of alkalies instead of formates of alkaline earths are produced during the reaction.

If instead of pure carbon monoxid a mixture of the latter with other gases may be used these latter gases are blown off during the operation through a suitable valve.

The 0 eration proceeds more slowly with the alka ine earths unless the temperature be correspondingly raised, to which there is no objection, for no decomposition takes place even at 250 centigrade when water is used as herein described.

Following are a few examples of-carrying out the method.

Example I: Milk of lime of 10 Baum is atomized at 220 centigrade in a closed vessel provided with a stirring device and heated carbon monoxid is pumped into the vessel. In an hour the reaction will have terminated quantitatively.

Example II: A solution of sodium sulfate of. 20 Baum and the equivalent quantity of caustic lime are introduced into a cylinder provided with many sieve bottoms and brought into most intimate contact with carbon monoxid at'200 centigrade. After an hour solution of'sodiumformate will formed, which is divided from the precipitated sulfate of lime by filtration.

Example III: When in Exam le II a solution of soda is em loyed instea .of the solu-- tion of'sodium su fate, sodium formate and carbonate of lime will result. v

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is.

p 1. The herein-described process of manufacturing formates, Which consists in making an a ueous solution of an alkaline earth, heating t e. a 1ueous solution to a high temperature in a c osed vessel, admitting thereto carbon monoxid, and by agitation causing the two a cuts to act upon each other.

2. he herein-described process of manufacturing formates, which consists in making an a ueous solution of an alkaline earth, heating t e a ueous solution to a temperature above the oiling-point in a closed vessel, ad-

- tation causing mitting thereto carbon monoxici, and by agithe two agents to act upon each other. 3. The herein-described process of manufacturing formates, which consists in makin an a ueous solution of a salt of an alkali an an a aline earth, heating the aqueous solution to a temperature above the boiling-point in a closed vessel, admitting thereto carbon monoxid, and by agitation causing the two agents to act upon each other.

In testimony -whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

JULIUS WEISE.

FRIEDRICH RIECHE. ADOLF BARTH.

Witnesses:

FRANZ HASSLAOHER, ERWIN DIPPEL. 

